Pogorzelski-Yankee Memorial Scholarships

The AGO Committee on Scholarships will award two $15,000 Pogorzelski-Yankee Scholarships to two individuals who will be enrolled as full-time students in nationally or regionally accredited undergraduate institutions (colleges, universities, or conservatories) during the 2026–27 academic year. Past recipients may reapply, but renewal of the scholarship is not guaranteed. Additionally, applicants must (1) have a verifiable financial need; (2) have a desire to commit a significant portion of the two years following graduation to teaching, performing, or other serious endeavor with respect to the organ; (3) be members of the AGO; (4) not be the children or grandchildren of AGO staff members, board members, or scholarship committee members; (5) not be related to Ronald G. Pogorzelski or Lester D. Yankee.  

Performance Requirements

Applicants will showcase their talent on the organ through three unedited and contiguous video-recorded performances, made within six months of the application deadline, of the following:

1. A composition by J.S. Bach

2. A contrasting work composed after 1800

3. Any one of the following hymns (please use the version specified):

• ADORO DEVOTE (The Hymnal 1982)

• DUST SPLENDOR (Resounding Voices)

• INNISFREE FARM (The Hymnal 1982)

• LAUDA ANIMA (The Hymnal 1982)

Candidates playing a trio sonata for their Bach submission should include two movements: either I & II or II & III. The total time of the two repertoire recordings combined should not exceed 30 minutes. The hymn is not to be counted as part of the 30-minute time limit for the repertoire pieces. For the hymn, candidates should play an introduction and a full rendering (all verses), as if leading a congregation in singing the entire hymn. Candidates playing DUST SPLENDOR should use “Dust, Remember You Are Splendor,” as found in Resounding Voices (thehymnsociety.org/resources/resounding-voices).

Outstanding performances can occur at any playing level. Submissions will be judged based on the quality of the performance, not the difficulty of the music. Applicants should focus on demonstrating excellence in performance at their current level of playing.

Each recording must clearly show the applicant performing at the organ console. It must be of sufficient quality to ensure a fair assessment of the candidate’s abilities by the application reviewers. Different instruments may be used, but the candidate must provide a specification for each instrument used.

Individual pieces may not be edited. Candidates are strongly encouraged to seek assistance from a school representative, technical adviser, or instructor to complete the video requirement.

Additional Application Requirements

1. Two letters of recommendation from the applicant’s most recent organ instructor and another music/education professional.

2. Two essays, each up to 500 words in length, on the following topics: (1) Why do you need this scholarship? Explain the degree of your financial need, and outline any extenuating circumstances. (2) Describe your passion for the organ and your career goals with regard to the organ beyond an undergraduate degree. Each essay must be written at a level of sophistication expected of an incoming or current college student. The essays should focus on goals, achievement and dedication, and financial need; they will be judged not only on their content but on the clarity and quality of their composition.

3. Information about the applicant’s family income, either from the Student Aid Index (SAI), as determined by their 2026–27 FASFA, or a financial aid evaluation form completed by their university’s financial aid office.

4. An official transcript from the applicant’s high school or college.

5. A copy of the applicant’s admission and financial aid letters.